phelps



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. J. PHELPS.

RAILWAY GAR TELEGRAPH. N0. 334,186. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

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(No Model!) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. J. PHELPS.

RAILWAY GAR TELEGRAPH.

No. 334,186. Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

N, PETERS, Fhommho n har. Washington, ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIUS J. PHELPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILWAY TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-CAR TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.334-,186. dated January 12, 1886.

Application filed December 31, 1884. Serial No. 151,705. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUOIUS J. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Maintaining Electrical Communication with MOV- ing Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

In prior patents and applications for patent filed by me I have described means whereby through the principle of current or magneto electric induction electric communication for various purposes may be maintained with a moving vehicle-such, for instance, as a railway-car-the essential characteristic of the invention consisting in making a line-conductor parallel with the track one element of an induction apparatus, and in placing the other element upon the car or vehicle, but in sufficiently close inductive proximity to the line-conductor to permit the currents in the latter to induce currents in a local closed circuitvon the car.

As the best means of carrying out that invention I have preferred in practice to make use of a coil of wire upon the vehicle, said coil having one of its sides flattened or elongated, so as to be in substantial parallelism with the line-conductor, and this I have found,to be an effective substitute for-the circuit-closing brush or wheel traveling in contact with a line-conductor, which has previous to my invention been the device employed whenever it was desirable to maintain an electric connection or communication with such traveling vehicle.

In carrying out my present invention I prefer to utilize the form of my previous invention just mentioned, and this is the form that, for the sake of simplicity'and the purposes of illustration, but without any purposes of limiting myself to any special form, I have shown in the drawings accompanying this specification.

My present invention is designed, primarily, to furnish a means whereby oral conversation may be carried on between two persons, one upon a moving railway-car or vehicle and the other at a fixed station or upon anotherrvehicle.

A further object of my invention is to furnish an effective means for calling to or from the moving station consisting of the car or vehicle to a fixed station or to another vehicle.

A further object of my invention is to avoid the disturbing effects due to the induction between the line-conductors where two suchare employed, as well as between one of said conductors and coils or wires upon a car other than the coil assigned to the particular lineconductor, or between two conductors upon the same car or vehicle.

My invention is further designed to furnish a means for communication with a way-station on a railway-line equipped according to my previous invention.

- To these ends my invention consists in the combinations and arrangements that Will be more particularly hereinafter described and specified in connection with the accompany- 7o ing drawings, and will then be summarized in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of circuits and apparatus, and shows two line-conductors. Fig. 2 illustrates the disposition of two conductors or coils carried upon the same car for the purpose of maintaining communication with both of said lineconductors, the disposition being such as to permit either coil and the line-conductor therefor to be used for purposes independent of the other without any conflict or disturbance from inductive action between the two coils. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through two such coils and the rails, line-conductors, and road-bed. Fig. 4 illustrates an equivalent method of arranging the two coils or conductors upon the same car or vehicle. Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of the conductor or coil upon the car or vehicle designed to prevent disturbance from the inductive action of the line assigned to another coil or conductor upon the same or another vehicle, and Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate in cross-section and perspective the arrangement adopted when three line-conductors are employed.

Referring to Fig. 1, A and B indicate two line-conductors carried along a railway or other way over which vehicles or cars of any kind travel or are propelled in any desired too manner. Said conductors are supported in any desired manner between, beside, or above the tracks, and may for the sake of conven-' ience andcheapness be supported, as indicated in Fig. 3, in grooved stringers a, of wood or other material, secured to the cross-ties and covered with a lid, as b. The conductors A and B are by preference covered with an insulating-sheath, or are insulated in any other desired manner, and are connected through switches S S or otherwise with apparatus at a station, D, and at their other ends with earth or with a suit-able return-conductor. A coil of wire with a portion carried parallel to and in suitable inductive proximity to one of the line-conductors is indicated at F as supported upon a car or vehicle adapted to move over the line-conductor, the method of supporting being immaterial to the purposes of this invention. The coil may be supported in pipes attached to the bottom of the car or vehicle, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Upon the car or vehicle, and connected to the terminals of said coil by any suitable means, are the following devices, to wit: G, a telephone-transmitter of any desired kind; K, a pole-changing key of any form; H, a telephone-receiver; L B, a battery, storage-cell, or other source of continuous or straight electric current, and I an electro-magnet of any de sired kind designed to respond to the induced currents set up in the coil or conductor F by the action of currents in the line-conductor, and to give a signal or call to the person upon the car, or to do other work.

The switches S S serve the obvious and wellknown purpose of throwing the devices into and out of circuit with the coil F. Those shown are merely typical forms, and may be replaced by any desired form. The switches Sbeing both turned to their lower contacts, 1 1, the magnet I is in circuit. By turning the left-hand switch to 2 the telephone-receiver is placed in circuit with the coil. By turning the right-hand switch S to its point 2 the key, battery, and transmitter are placed in circuit with the coil. The transmitter may be shunted by the plug-switch S to permit the key to be operated and the battery to act without the resistance 'of the telephone-transmitter in the local car-circuit.

At a terminal or other station, as E, are arranged similar devices to those on the car, with the exception that at this station no coil, such as F, is employed, the apparatus being connected into the circuit of a line, as B, in the same manner that the apparatus on a car is connected in the local circuit with the coil F. It thus happens that at the station E the telephone-transmitter G when in use is on the line-circuit with line B, and the main-line battery M B, the bell or call magnet I, or the telephone H being also in lineoircuit, according to the position of the switches. a It is obvious that the arrangement of the apparatus might be very much varied from that shown without departing from the usefulness of the various devices, and so as'to still permit the telephone-transmitter G at station E to be placed in the circuit B with a main-line.

battery, M B, or other source of electricity.

At D is indicated a fixed way-station whose apparatus is connected in a local circuit with a conductor, 5, arranged in as close proximity from the action of the currents in the line B.

The instruments at the station D may be of any desired kind. Those shown are the same as at the station E.

As .many stations D as desired may be placed along the circuit of the conductor B.

By arranging the conductor 5 straight or parallel with the line-conductor instead of winding it in a coil concentric with another coil in the line-circuit I get very superior inductive effects, which could not be attained under the latter arrangement owing to the self-induction of the turns of each coil upon themselves.

The conductor A is a second conductor, provided for a different kind of service from that assigned to conductor B, or as a reserve conductor.

Similar apparatus to that provided for conductor B is carried upon a car or vehicle and in proper inductive proximity to A. Such second apparatus may be carried upon the same Vehicle or train with that for B, or upon another car, vehicle, or train. Thus one conductor, as B, may be used for train-dispatching and the other for securing electric communication for an entirely difl'erent purposeas, for instance, for commercial telegraphy or telephony-or one conductor may be used for freight-train and the other for passenger-train service.

In order to prevent the disturbing effects of induction between such conductors, I propose to adopt the device illustrated in Fig. 1 at L,

and consisting of two plates or bodies of convaries with the distance between the lines A B and the distance for which they run parallel. Owing to the close proximity of the plates it is obvious that an inductive capacity between them equivalent to that between the two lines may be obtained by a comparatively short length of plate. The circuit of the lines A B is carried through the plates in reverse or contrary direction, as indicated, so that the same current which in the line A, for instance, tends to produce by induction a current in the line B in one direction will in the plate m tend to produce in m connected to B, a counterinductive or reactionary current of the same strengththat is, one which would flow in the circuit B in the opposite direction to that induced by theline A. The effect of such action obviously would be to prevent the occurrence of disturbing induced currents in the circuit for B through the influence of the currents in A. In a similar way the reactionary or counter-inductive influence set up by m in m will prevent the manifestation of disturbing induced currents in the circuit for A by the action of currentsin the circuit B. I make the plates m m straight, or substantially straight, in contradistinction to coiling or winding or bending them upon themselves, in order that there shall not be portions of the same plate parallel, or substantially parallel, to one another. By this means I find that the mutual inductive action or result is very greatly increased, for the probable reason that self-induction between portions of the same plate is avoided.

It may sometimes be desirable when two or more line-conductors run near one another to prevent the currents in one from producing disturbing influences on a car in the apparatus thereupon assigned to another conductor. In the case of two conductors this may be accomplished by arranging the coil or wire upon a vehicle in substantially the manner indicated in section on Fig. 5, so that the induction from the otherwise disturbing line shall be equal but opposite in two portions of said coil. For instance, if the coil F shown be the coil for conductor A, the tendency to disturbance from the action of B may be avoided by arranging the return or remote portion of the coil, as h, at such a distance from the line B that the reactionary influence of the latter as produced in the portion It shall compensate for or neutralize that produced by the same conductor in the portion 9 of said coil parallel to the conductor A, to which said coil properly belongs.

In the case of three line-conductors disturbance might be prevented by arranging the coil as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this instance the coil is the coil for conductor A, the portion 9 of said coil being that by which the efiective inductive transfer is maintained to or from the circuit connected with the coils.

In order that the influence of line B may not be felt in the circuit connected to the coil F through the action of the currents in saidline upon the main or leading portion of the coil, aportion, h, of the return wires of the coil is arranged in such inductive proximity to B that the reactionary induction between h and B shall be the equivalent of that between 9 and B. In the same manner a return portion, k", of the coil is arranged in such proximity to the third line, B that the reactionary induction between B and h, plus that between B and h, shall be the equivalent of and neutralize that between B and g. The same compensating action would obviously take place so far as concerns the inductive act-ion of currents in the coil F upon other than its proper conductor. WVhen there are upon the same car two coils, one assigned to one line-conductor, as A, and the other to another lineconductor, as B, and said coils are connected, respectively, to separate apparatus on the car, there is danger of disturbance from the induction of one of said coils upon the other. This may be avoided, however, by the arrangementto be now described, the essence of which consists in arranging a portion of each circuit or coil in such inductive relation to the other coil or circuit that the influence of the latter upon such portion shall tend to set up a reactionary influence sufficient to neutralize the disturbing action which said coil would otherwise produce upon the other or first named coil.

F F indicate two coils, one for line A, the other for line B, y g" being respectively the main or leading portions of said coils parallel to their respective line-conductors, whereby the desired electric connection or inductive transfer is maintained.

In order to prevent the current in the portion of coil I from producing by induction upon g a current in coil F, I arrange a portion, ficonstituting a return portion in such inductive relation to 9 that the latter shall tend to set up a reactionary induction in f the equivalent of that which it tends to produce in g. In the same way the effects of the currents in g are not felt in F,owing to the equal but opposite influence of 9 upon the portion 9 and the return portion f for coil F". The influence of the portion f orf for either coil is also neutralized, owing to the fact that each is in proper relation to the two portions of the other to set up equivalent reactionary currents. In this arrangement it willbe observed that the planes of the two coilscut one another, and the same portions of the two coils are virtually reversed in position, thus securing the desired reactionary or neutralizinginduction of each upon the other.

The desired reactionary effect may be-secured in the equivalent way-of arranged portions of the two coils in proper inductive relation through the agency of an electro-magnet, asindicated in Fig. 4. In this instance it becomes immaterial whether the coils have portions reversed in position or not, the main and return portions ff andg g" as well as the sides being in substantial parallelism as well as the sides 1). In this instance the planes of the two coils are of course separated as far as practicable, but, owing to the parallelism ofthe parts, as indicated, there would be a considerable mutual influence, which may be counteracted byplacing asufficient portion of each circuit in the shape of a coil upon a core IIO of soft iron, R. In this instance the tendency of the current in the one coil is through the magnetization of the bar to induce in the other coil a current which, proper attention being paid to the manner of connecting or win ding in accordance with well-known laws, will be in the proper direction to meet and oppose any current which may tend to develop through the parallelism of the other portions of the coils F F The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The line-circuit being closed through the magnet I, and the circuits upon a car or vehicle and at a fixed station, as at D, being closed through their magnets I, the latter may be operated by switching out the magnet I at Eand connecting theline-circuit to the pole-changer and battery. 13y operating the pole changer or key currents from the main battery M B are caused to flow first in one and then in the other direction. These currents, 011 the wellknown laws of current-induction, will induce in a coil or circuit, F, of any vehicle whose coil is in proper inductive relation to the lineconductor, and whether such car be moving or stationary, currents which will operate the magnet I to ring a bell or perform any other desired operation. The same line-currents will also by induction upon the wire 5, parallel with B, set up currents at the fixed station D, which may be utilized in the magnet I or otherwise to ring a bell or perform other operations. In the same way currents may be induced in the line by reversals of current produced either in a wire, as 5, parallel to the line, or in a coil, as F, upon a vehicle. If it be desired to hold oral communication between a station, as E, and a moving vehicle or a station, as D, the transmitter G at E is thrown into the direct-line circuit B with the battery M B, and the pulsations or variations of the current from B, flowing on the whole line, which are produced by the transmitter, are reproduced by direct inductive transfer from said line to the coil or coils F in suitable proximity thereto, and are from said coil conveyed through the properly set switches to and through the telephone -receiver. The telephone-receiver in a fixed station, as D, may be also affected through the induction of the linepulsations from the battery M B upon the wire 5, parallel to the line-conductor. Speech may be communicated in obvious manner by setting switches, keys, telephones, 850., as these may be varied obviously without departing from the general principles of the invention. What I claim as my invention is 1. As a means for holding oral communication with a person upon a moving vehicle, a

line-conductor parallel with the Way over which the vehicle moves, a closed local circuit upon the vehicle, telephone transmitting and receiving apparatus connected to said local circuit, and similar apparatus connected tothe line-circuit.

2. In an apparatus for inductive electric transfer to or from a moving vehicle, and consisting, essentially, of an induction apparatus one element of which is a conductor parallel to the way or path in which the vehicle travels, while the other is carried on the vehicle in inductive proximity to the line-conductor, a fixed way-station having its apparatus in a local circuit placed in suitable inductive proximity to the line circuit or conductor, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of a-line-conductor, a telephonetransmitter in the circuit with said conductor, a vehicle, a conductor thereon parallel to and in proper inductive proximity to the lineconductor, a telephone-receiver, and means for connecting the terminals of said conductor in closed electric circuit through said receiver.

4c. The combination, substantially as described, with an induction apparatus, one element of which consists of a conductor parallel to a railway, while the other is carried in closed electric circuit upon a vehicle running over said way, and is arranged in suitable inductive proximity to the line-conductor, of I00 a telephone-transmitting apparatus in a local circuit upon said vehicle, and means for connecting a telephone-receiver into the cir-' cuit with the line-conductor, as and for the purpose described.

5. In an apparatus for inductive electric transfer to or from a moving vehicle, and c0usisting, essentially, ofa line-conductor and a vehicle-conductor carried in inductive proximity to the line, a fixed way-station having its apparatus in a closed local circuit a portionof which is parallel to the line-conductor.

6. In a railway-telegraph apparatus or system, a central or main otfice connected with a line-conductor carried along the way, as described, closed circuit-conductors placed upon the cars moving over said way and arrangedparallel to and in inductive proximity tosaid line-conductor, and one or more way-stations having apparatus in a closed circuit arranged in suitable inductive relation to the line-conductor.

7. The combination, with the line-circuit parallel to the way over which the vehicle moves, and the local closed circuit upon the vehicle containing the receiving apparatus to be operated by induced current set up through the inductive agency of the currents on the line, of a generator of electricitysuch as a galvanic battery-for producing continuous electric currents, and a pole-changing key controlling the connection of said generator with the line-circuit.

8. In an apparatus for inductive electric IIO transfer to or from a moving vehicle, the combination, substantially as described, of a lineconductor, and an inductive coil or circuit on a vehicle carried in proper inducing relation to said line-conductor, and having its parts that are exposed to inductive action from a second conductor placed in equivalent but opposite inductive relation to the latter, so that the effects of the latter shall be rendered m'l, .as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination, with two or more lineconductors, of a vehicle-conductor havingtwo substantially parallel portions, one of which portions is in closer inductive relation than is the other with regard to one of the line-conductors, while the two portions are in equivalent inductive relation to the other line-conductor, as and for the purpose described.

10. The combination, with the two or more line-conductors, of aninduction-coil for one of 'said conductors,having its main or leading and its return portion or portions arranged, as described, in equivalent inductive relation to the other conductor or conductors, so that the inductive action between the latter and the coil shall produce no disturbing effect, while at the same time the coil is left free to proper inductive action and reaction with its own line-conductor.

11. In an apparatus for inductive electric transfer to or from a moving vehicle, the combination of a line-conductor, an inductive apparatus or coil carried upon the vehicle in proper inductive relation to said conductor, and a second line-conductor which sets up in a portion of vehicle-conductor neutralizing currents for neutralizing the disturbance due to induction between said second line-conductor and the apparatus upon the vehicle assigned to the first line-conductor.

12. In an apparatus for inductive transfer to or from a moving vehicle, consisting,essentially, of an induction apparatus, one element of which is a line-conductor, while the other element is carried upon the vehicle in inductive proximity to the line-conductors, the combination,with two line-conductors, of two circuits upon the same vehicle, each of said circuits having a portion arranged in proper inductive relation to the other, so that there shall be a reactionary induction set up and the formation of disturbing induced currents thus prevented.

13. The combination,with the two line-conductors, of the two vehicle-conductors arranged, as described, with the main and return portion of each in equivalent inductive relation to the main or return portion of the other, thus preventing the formation of induced currents in either from the action. of currents-on the other.

14:. The combination, with the two line-conductors, of the two vehicle-conductors, each having a portion through which reactionary neutralizing inductive effects are set up for the purpose of compensating for the tendency to disturbance by reason of the proximity of said vehicle-conductors to one another.

15. The combination, with the two line-circuits, as A B, of two straight or substantially straight plates, and conducting bodies or plates m m of large area, as described, separated by a thin layer of insulating material, and having the two line-circuits reversed through them, as and for the purpose set forth.

16. The combination, with the line-circuit, as B, of the local station, as D, having its apparatus connected with a straight wire or conductor, as 5, extended parallel to the conductor B for a considerable distance, in contradistinction to a coil in which the conductor returns upon itself so as to give rise to the evil of self-induction. v

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 29th day of December, A. D. 1884.

LUOIUS J. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

Trros. TOOMEY, Gno. 0. 001mm. 

